Test Time

Colts provide a big challenge for Jacksonville's revamped secondary

JACKSONVILLE -- Reggie Nelson was laying down next to his locker Friday, a shirt draped over his face as he took a short nap.

The Jaguars safety was getting some much-needed rest after spending extra time this week preparing for Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne.

The Colts trio poses problems for every defense, so Nelson, a rookie making his first start against Indianapolis on Monday night, had cause for concern.

"They've got more experience than I do, and I'm pretty sure they've been studying our secondary and looking at me as a rookie starting," Nelson said. "They might try to take advantage of me."

No doubt the defending Super Bowl champions (5-0) will test Nelson, a first-round draft pick who has found himself out of position at times, and fellow safety Sammy Knight, who joined the team during the preseason.

The Jaguars (4-1) have allowed three 100-yard receivers the last three games and have been susceptible to big plays. Now they face Harrison and Wayne, one of the top receiver tandems in NFL history.

"They do a good job of putting pressure on the secondary," Knight said. "Peyton puts the ball in the right place and they really understand what type of coverages you're in and how to attack them.

"It doesn't matter who's back there. Their offense is designed to put a lot of pressure on the secondary. That's what they do."

Harrison and Wayne have burned the Jaguars plenty, combining for four 100-yard games and eight touchdowns the last four years. Those came against veteran safeties Deon Grant and Donovin Darius.

Naturally, there is cause for concern with Nelson and Knight back there.

"We'll do the best we can to prepare to slow these guys down a little bit and try to limit their ability to ring the bell," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. "These guys like to ring the bell and we don't want them ringing the bell here in Jacksonville."

The Jaguars are treating the prime-time matchup much like a postseason game, acknowledging it's probably the best chance to catch the four-time defending AFC South champions in the division race.

With a victory, the Colts would improve to 3-0 in the South and have a two-game lead over Jacksonville with their final three division games at home.

A win for the Jaguars, meanwhile, would be a huge step toward their goal of winning the division for the first time. Although the teams would technically be tied with 5-1 marks (2-1 in the division), Jacksonville would control its destiny, an unusual position for a team that has spent the last four years chasing Indy.

Not coincidentally, Manning, Harrison and Wayne have caused Jacksonville the biggest headaches during that stretch.

To that end, Del Rio has retooled his defense, hoping to get more favorable matchups. He added a few speedy pass rushers and improved the linebacking corps. More importantly, he signed cornerback Brian Williams before last season, then added Nelson and Knight this year.

Williams provided a boost in 2006, but Harrison and Wayne still combined to catch 24 passes for 387 yards in two games against Jacksonville.

Will Nelson and Knight make a difference?

"It's kind of a nice combination because you have a guy who is very experienced in Knight, a very heady player and makes a lot of things happen because of his awareness, and then you have a real athletic, energetic guy who has great ball skills," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "I think it's a real, real nice safety combination."

So far, the combination has been inconsistent , but the Jaguars believe a few blown coverages are part of the learning curve.

"We're still coming together and getting things figured out," Nelson said. "They're probably going to come out and test us, especially me, but that's fine. We're up for the challenge."

Even Manning has noticed the change in the Jaguars secondary.

"They are both real active guys," Manning said. "They really pop out on film to you that they are around the ball. ... I think both of the guys are playing well and a big reason their defense is playing so well."